CalhounLJ,
I actually can't speak for NF rules, but perhaps their rule regarding a player being OB is the same as NCAA. In NCAA, a player - any player, not just a ball carrier - is NOT out of bounds if he happens to be touching another player that is out of bounds. So, if said player is also holding a ball after receiving it from a pass (or any loose ball), the ball is not touching anything out of bounds. That may make the status of the ball still "loose" from the forward pass (because the catch is not yet complete, thus, player possession is not yet established), but the ball is not out of bounds. It is still alive and in play. When the receiver (holding the ball) then touches the ground inbounds (and complies with all of the other criteria required to complete a catch), the catch is complete, and player possession is established. If that happens to be in the end zone, that's a TD.
So, the question is: In NF, does the definition of a player (not just a ball carrier) out bounds have the similar NCAA exception for contacting another player that is out of bounds?
Robert